George W. Bush ha detto che ''la pena di morte e' ingiusta'': ma si e' trattato di un lapsus, del presidente americano, che com'e' noto e' un convinto sostenitore della pena capitale. ''Non voglio liberarmi della pena di morte, solo della tassa di successione'', ha aggiunto, strappando una risata ai 4.000presenti al Civic Auditorium di Omaha in Nebraska

Wednesday February 28 7:11 PM ET Bush Criticizes Death Penalty - Oops, 'Death Tax' OMAHA, Neb. - President George W. Bush , always closely watched for his occasional verbal gaffes, made a new slip on Wednesday when he accidentally criticized the death penalty, a policy he supports.In a speech to several thousand supporters in Nebraska, Bush condemned the ``death penalty,'' when he meant to take aim at the ``death tax.''``Those of us who have spent some time in the agricultural sector and in the heartland understand how unfair the death penalty is -- the death tax is, and we need to get rid of it,'' Bush said in a speech to promote his proposed $1.6 trillion tax cut.``I don't want to get rid of the death penalty,'' he said to laughter as he realized what he said. ``Just the death tax.''Bush's tax cut proposal includes a repeal of the estate tax, which is assessed on people's net worth upon death. He calls the tax a ``death tax.''Bush, the former governor of Texas, is a known proponent of the death penalty.Last year, Texas executed 40 people, the most by a U.S. state since authorities began keeping records in 1930.The state has executed 240 people since resuming capital punishment in 1982, six years after the U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites) lifted a ban on the death penalty. Texas leads the nation in executions during that period.Bush's occasional creative use of the English language was well documented during the election campaign, and his move to the White House has intensified the scrutiny.